Monarchy Part 1 – When Confronted With a Crisis

The Monarchy – Part 1 1 Samuel 13:1-15 When Confronted With a Crisis… September 11, 2016

 

I. PICKING up the STORY. (I Sam. 8-12)
A. ANOINTING a new “KING”. (I Sam. 8-10)
B. Saul STARTS with a BANG. (I Sam. 11)
C. Samuel CLARIFIES the TRUTH. (I Sam. 12)

One of the beauties of the Scripture is that it is the story of God’s interaction with His
people throughout history. As we watch the Jewish nation move into a period of monarchy, we can learn from their mistakes about how we are to live surrendered to the only true King. They are hard lessons, but valuable ones.

1. The people wanted a king…someone they could see and follow. What things have
you wanted God to give you in your life?
2. Saul begins with great success. How reliable is success as an indicator that we are
doing what we need to do as we follow God? How can we determine if success is
really “success”?
3. What wisdom for life do you see in Samuel’s words in 12:20-25? How (be specific)
would you apply those to your own life?

II. There’s ALWAYS a CRISIS. (I Sam 13:1-15)
A. Jonathan POKES the BEEHIVE. (v.1-5)
B. Saul SUMMONS the people and WAITS… (v.4-8)
C. …until he HAS to take ACTION. (v.9-10)
D. A HARSH CONSEQUENCE. (v.11-15)

A crisis in life is always something that we want to avoid. We like the comfort and peace of the easy life. But often it’s in the crisis that we can see what we are made of and what God is calling us to be. Difficult times strip away our own self-dependance and teach us how to trust that God has good in mind for us, even when all visible signs might seem to point otherwise.

4. Why do we feel better doing something than when we wait for God to act? Is that good or bad?
5. When have you felt like you couldn’t wait another second for God to do something? What did you do? How did it turn out?
6. Do you think God was too hard on Saul? Why or why not?

III. When we FACE a CRISIS… (v.11-12)
A. Taking ACTION is easier than TRUST. (v.11-12; Ex 14:13-14; Is. 30:15-17)
B. The POWER of FEAR. (v.6-7,11-12; Heb 13:5-6; Rom. 8:15; I Jn 4:18)
C. SEEKING to MANIPULATE God. (v.12; I Sam 7:7-11; Micah 6:6-8)

There are things that seem to be common to Saul’s crisis and the ones that we face on a fairly regular basis. We can identify with his fears and his reactions. If we are honest,
we often feel like God was a little too hard on Saul. What choice did Saul really have? Let’s spend some time reflecting on that and see what it says to us in the middle of any
crisis we face…

7. When have you had (or are you having) a difficult time trusting God in regards to something? Would it be easier to take action than to wait for God to act? How can we know when we need to wait?
8. What role does fear play in your own life? Do you see the world as a place to be afraid of or a place where God is in control? Why or why not?
9. How can we tell if our religious practices are genuine or merely attempts to manipulate God?

IV. How do we AVOID foolish ACTION? (v.13; 12:20-24)
A. ACKNOWLEDGE your own NEED. (12:20; I Peter 5:6-7)
B. Dwell in God’s LOVE, not your FEAR. (12:20,22; I Jn 4:16-19)
C. PRACTICE learning to TRUST. (12:24; Ps. 115:1-11)

So how do we avoid making the same mistakes? How can we live life under the leadership of Jesus, even when it appears that Jesus is sleeping on the job? When it looks like things are heading in the total wrong direction how do we develop trust and patience in the “slow work of God”? These are great and necessary questions…

10.What, if anything, keeps you from honestly admitting your need to God and to others?
11. How can you tell if you are dwelling in God’s love or in fear? What would be the “fruit” of your life in each one of those?
12.Where is God asking you to practice “trust” this week? How will you do that?